An Israeli far-right leader's Al-Aqsa visit sparks outrage and calls for U.N. meeting

https://www.npr.org/2023/01/04/ [login to see] /israel-ben-gvir-holy-site-jerusalem
Israel is lobbying against calls to hold an urgent session of the United Nations Security Council, following a controversial visit by Israel's far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, to a sensitive holy site in Jerusalem.

On Tuesday, just days after Israel's new ultranationalist government took office, Ben-Gvir toured the hilltop compound that is home to the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The site is revered in Islam as the Noble Sanctuary, where the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven, but in Judaism it is called the Temple Mount, because it was the location of the biblical Temples.

Ben-Gvir, previously convicted in an Israeli court of ties to an anti-Arab racist organization, has long called for expanded access and rights for Jews on the hilltop. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended Ben-Gvir's visit, saying there would be no change to the status quo of the holy site. Arab countries and the U.S. warned that any unilateral changes to the way the religious site is run could spark violence.

The United Arab Emirates, a key ally of Israel, says it is pushing, with China's support, for the U.N. Security Council to discuss the situation. The Palestinian Foreign Ministry said it urged the UAE to request the meeting, and that it is expected to take place Thursday.